Coco Review: Pixar Releases Another Instant Classic Movie!

The best Pixar film of the last decade is finally here, giving audiences something special that light their eyes up. Here’s my full Coco Review.

An Unforgettable Adventure

Miguel Rivera is a 12-year-old aspiring musician whose family hates music due to an incident in their past. They’ve made shoes for generations; now it’s his turn and things don’t go well.

This leaves him at a crossroad since he loves to perform. After being pushed too far, he goes grave robbing and is transported to the world of the dead. He must get back before sunrise or he’ll end up bones too.

Pixar doesn’t just put a Hispanic coat of paint on The Nightmare Before Christmasand call it a day. Coco highlights the culture and traditions to present them in creative ways. A refreshing aspect is that there isn’t a villain (for the most part), but rather antagonists with legitimate motivations.

Miguel’s relative Mama Imelda is one of those antagonists, as she chases him into the afterworld to get him back home safely. She does so under the condition that he’ll never perform again. She’s not malicious – just protective and haunted by the family’s past.

The movie takes on pretty heavy subjects like death, legacies, and purpose without becoming overly grim. It never insults the audience assuming they’re a child and won’t understand. This returns to classic Pixar by simply making an excellent film for anybody.

The first 10 minutes of Up is only a drop in a bucket of tears compared to the ocean that’ll drown the room here. There’s no machismo in crying, however, if the fellas feel the need to randomly dab in the theatre to rub crust away. No one will fuss about a little grooming.

Distinct Atmosphere

Miguel’s journey is sympathetic. He’s not perfect and constantly seems to have the world against him. He could have returned home at any time, but the lengths he goes to achieve happiness kept me rooting.

Saying Pixar flicks look beautiful at this point is like saying water is wet. Credit must be paid where due, so Coco splashes colorful imagery all over the screen with such attention to detail they could be detectives if this animation thing doesn’t work out. Skeletons have unique designs that speak their character without saying a word. The alebrijes are incredibly cool spirit animals that demand attention with their array of colors and abilities.

Lee Unkrich masterfully directs as he crafts a tight film with no fat to trim, and every bit of dialogue is meaningful. The length is just right, which makes repeat watches a delight.

Oh, there are musical numbers in here too. While whole cities don’t break out in dance, “Jaunita” and “Remember Me” make for endearing tunes that enhance their scenes. They don’t turn into an advertisement for the soundtrack since they’re infrequent and actually advance the plot.

What’s really appealing about the world is that it feels lived in. The characters feel like they have a past and will have a future long after the credits roll.

To Summarize This Coco Review

After it was done, I got choked up later mentioning the film. This is either because it’s fall, or Drake songs are in heavy rotation, or Coco is just that great. In a celebration of life and family, Coco delivers a story that will be remembered for a long time to come. Laughs, tears, and love come together in a feel-good story that can’t be missed.

Coco comes out November 22, 2017.Are you planning on seeing it? Am I wrong in this Coco review? Let us know in the comments what you think and if it even comes close to your top Pixar film!